Strictly Star Suffered Years of Violent Abuse That ‘Forever Changed’ Her

BBC presenter and Strictly Come Dancing star Nikita Kanda has shared her story about surviving ‘years’ of physical and mental abuse, after seeing her mother go through the same.

In a heartfelt social media post, Nikita, 29, explained how she felt a “sense of duty” to talk about her experience to her 37,000 followers, in the hope it could change the epidemic of violence against women and girls in the UK. .

In particular, Nikita highlighted the plight of women in the Asian community who feel pressured to remain silent in violent homes.

“Sharing something very personal here today,” she began on Instagram.

“It’s something I’ve kept out of the public eye and even most people who know me, friends, colleagues and followers, but I feel a duty to use my platform and use something negative that has happened in my life to hopefully bring about change positive.

‘There is a huge increase in violence against women and girls in this country that simply needs to STOP! 2-3 women a week die from this!

‘This may come as a shock to many of you, but I grew up in a very violent environment and have witnessed and experienced an enormous amount of physical and mental abuse over the years.

“The trauma of seeing abuse happen severely to my amazing mother and then experiencing it myself is something I never thought I would overcome.

‘It’s something that changes you forever, the way you see the world and it never leaves you, no matter how hard you try to forget.

‘I never wanted any woman, child or mother to experience what we have as a family. In the Asian community we are taught not to talk about these issues, to sweep them under the rug and hide them, but I hope we can start talking more freely, eliminating any judgment and just making sure women are safe.’

She then asked followers to visit @refugecharity on social media and see the work they are doing.

“You are not alone and I understand you,” she concluded. ‘Thanks for listening.’

Nikita told The Independent that she was “locked in a little room” as a child, at the hands of a violent attacker.

“The violence left me with a lot of problems,” she told the publication. ‘I didn’t know who I was, what was right, what was wrong, and I remember feeling very angry and then emotional and confused.

‘When you go through things like this, it leaves you with scars and mental trauma.

‘I still have flashbacks now. Sometimes you think you’re fine and sometimes it just randomly comes back to you.

The BBC Asian Network Breakfast presenter also said she has friends in her community who live in abusive homes because they are afraid of what others in their circle will think or say if they speak out.

She revealed that her friend’s partner was so violent he broke her ribs, while another of her friends was locked in a room, injected with drugs and banned from going to the bathroom.

Nikita is warning women in Asian communities to keep their eyes peeled for friends and notice any small mention of abuse at home, such as partner anger, as many women do not speak out.

Last year, the UK government classified violence against women and girls as a national threat.

According to Refuge data, the police receive a domestic violence call every 30 seconds, and one in four women in England and Wales will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.

Every five days, a woman is killed by an abusive partner or ex in England and Wales.

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